Professor —
PhD,
University of California at San Diego

Roy Allison Vaughan Centennial Professor in Philosophy

Contact

Interests

History of political philosophy, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, philosophy of language

Biography

A specialist in the history of modern philosophy and the philosophy of language, his books include Communication and Reference (1984), The Two Gods of Leviathan (Cambridge, 1992), A Hobbes Dictionary (Blackwell, 1995), and Thomas Hobbes (St. Martin's, 1997). His book, Hobbes: A Biography (Cambridge, 1999) won the Robert W. Hamilton Faculty Book Award for 2000. He has also translated Hobbes' Computatio sive logica: Part One of De Corpore (1981), is co-editor with David Sosa of the leading anthology on The Philosophy of Language (sixth edition, Oxford, 2013), and also co-editor with David Sosa of Analytic Philosophy: An Anthology (second edition, Wiley, 2012) and A Companion to Analytic Philosophy (Blackwell, 2001). He is Vice-President of the Board of Directors of The Journal of the History of Philosophy, and has twice held NEH Fellowships. He has lectuerd extensively in Chine and has published articles in which he applies analytic philosophy to Chinese philosophy.

PHL 305 • Intro To Philos Of Religion

This course investigates four different attitudes that have been held about the relation of humans to God. First is an ancient view according to which God's existence is presupposed and all events are interpreted as expressions of God's will. Second is a medieval view according to which the existence of God and his various attributes are suitable subjects for proof and argument. Third is a modern view according to which God exists but little is known about him through reasoning. Fourth is a contemporary view according to which God is assumed not to exist, and it is asked whether anything has any value and whether human life has a meaning. Although the course is divided historically, our goal will be to identify what is true or false, rational or not rational about the views expressed in each.

PHL 301L • Early Modern Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of the most basic aspects of reality. We will begin to understand philosophy by studying some texts by early modern philosophers (1600 - 1800), who were also some of the greatest Western philosophers of all time. We have five major goals:

1. To learn what the major philosophers believed and what reasons or arguments they had for their beliefs

2. To learn how to understand and evaluate arguments and reasons.

3. To learn some of the ways that philosophy should be done.

4. To discover some actual philosophical truths.

5. To learn something about the early modern culture of Western Europe.

Texts:

Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy

Gearge Berkeley, Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous

David Hume, Enquiry into Human Understanding

Immanuel Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

A. P. Martinich, Philosophical Writing 4th edition

Grading:

Two in-class tests: 15% and 20% = 35%

Attendance and Assignments = 25%

Participation = 10%

Final Examination = 30%

PHL 354 • Origins Of Liberalism

Liberal democracy is roughly the theory that individual human beings are free and equal. Freedom and equality are typically connected with the rights of individuals. Key concepts include liberty, democracy, the social contract, and the nature of authority and obligation to governments.

This course is interdisciplinary. It will cover the history, religion, and political philosophy of Stuart England (seventeenth-century England), the century of the English Civil War, the Commonwealth, The Restoration, the Exclusion Crisis, the Glorious Revolution, and the English Bill of Rights.

Thomas Hobbes's LEVIATHON and John Locke's TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT will be discussed in detail along with other notable works by republican theorists, radical democrats, and divine right theorists.

Texts:

Thomas Hobbes, LEVIATHON

John Locke, TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT

Bucholz and Keys, EARLY MODERN ENGLAND 2nd ed

A. P. Martinich, Philosophical Writing

Grading:

Class participation and assignments - 25%

Test (about October 15) - 20%

Final Examination (comprehensive) - 35%

Essay (due last class day of semester) - 20%

PHL 305 • Intro To Philos Of Religion

This course investigates four different attitudes that have been held about the relation of humans to God. First is an ancient view according to which God's existence is presupposed and all events are interpreted as expressions of God's will. Second is a medieval view according to which the existence of God and his various attributes are suitable subjects for proof and argument. Third is a modern view according to which God exists but little is known about him through reasoning. Fourth is a contemporary view according to which God is assumed not to exist, and it is asked whether anything has any value and whether human life has a meaning. Although the course is divided historically, our goal will be to identify what is true or false, rational or not rational about the views expressed in each.

PHL 327 • Interpretation And Meaning

41690 • Spring 2016
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:30PM JES A218A

Communication consists of two aspects: what the speaker means by her utterance and what the audience understands by it. While most philosophers of language have concentrated on the speaker's side, there is increasing interest in the audience's side. This seminar focuses on understanding or interpretation, especially on the interpretation of texts. Since interpretation is the attempted identification of meaning, the nature of meaning will also be discussed.

Our main goal will be to figure out what interpretation is and what properties a good interpretation has. This goal requires that we understand what people bring to texts and what means they have to understand them.

Our views about meaning and interpretation will be tested against various texts, some simple and some complex, in various genres: literary, religious, historical, political, legal, and philosophical. Principles of interpretation will be evaluated according to how useful they are in understanding these texts.

Readings include works by Donald Davidson, H. P. Grice, W. V. Quine, and John Searle.

PHL 354 • Origins Of Liberalism

Liberal democracy is the theory that individual persons are free and equal and thus have certain rights that must be respected by governments. The theory behind liberalism developed from or competed with several traditions such as democracy, republicanism, and absolute sovereignty. The theory was influenced by various religious, economic and political beliefs over a long period of time. Perhaps the most crucial period in this development was seventeenth-century England.

This course is interdisciplinary. It will cover such political and religious events as The Gunpowder Plot, Charles I’s Personal Rule, the Long Parliament, the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Exclusion Crisis, and the Glorious Revolution. Some crucial works in political philosophy by some great political philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke will be discussed along with lesser but still significant theorists such as John Milton. The political relevance of some literary works, such as John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel, will also be discussed.

Key concepts to be discussed include liberty, democracy, the social contract, and the nature of authority and obligation.

PHL 381 • Political Phil: Hobbes/Locke

41725 • Fall 2015
Meets M 12:30PM-3:30PM WAG 312

Graduate standing and consent of Graduate Advisor or instructor required.

Course Description

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two of the greatest political philosophers of all time. This seminar will focus on their political philosophies, which include discussions of the original condition of human beings (the state of nature), the origin of government, the scope and limits of sovereignty (government), the justification of revolution, and the nature and place of religion within a society. The final week will be devoted to David Hume’s political philosophy.

PHL 305 • Intro To Philos Of Religion

This course investigates four different attitudes that have been held about the relation of humans to God. First is an ancient view according to which God's existence is presupposed and all events are interpreted as expressions of God's will. Second is a medieval view according to which the existence of God and his various attributes are suitable subjects for proof and argument. Third is a modern view according to which God exists but little is known about him through reasoning. Fourth is a contemporary view according to which God is assumed not to exist, and it is asked whether anything has any value and whether human life has a meaning. Although the course is divided historically, our goal will be to identify what is true or false, rational or not rational about the views expressed in each.

PHL 327 • Interpretation And Meaning

41945 • Spring 2015
Meets MWF 1:00PM-2:00PM WAG 308

Communication consists of two aspects: what the speaker means by her utterance and what the audience understands by it. While most philosophers of language have concentrated on the speaker's side, there is increasing interest in the audience's side. This seminar focuses on understanding or interpretation, especially on the interpretation of texts. Meaning will be discussed as necessary.

Our main goal will be to figure out what interpretation is and what properties a good interpretation has. This goal requires that we understand what a person brings to a text and what means she has to understand it.

Our views about meaning and interpretation will be tested against important and controversial texts in various genres: literary, religious, historical, political, legal, and philosophical. Principles of interpretation will be evaluated according to how useful they are in understanding these texts.

PHL 354 • Origins Of Liberalism

Liberal democracy is the theory that individual persons have certain rights that must be respected by governments and cannot be violated merely to improve the condition of the state. Key concepts to be discussed include liberty, democracy, the social contract, and the nature of authority and obligation.

The theory behind liberalism developed from or competed with several traditions such as democracy, republicanism and absolute sovereignty, which were influenced by various religious, economic and political beliefs over a long period of time. Perhaps the most crucial period in this development was seventeenth-century England.

This course is interdisciplinary. It will cover such political and religious events as The Gunpowder Plot, Charles I’s Personal Rule, the Long Parliament, the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Exclusion Crisis, and the Glorious Revolution. Some crucial works in political philosophy by some great political philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke will be discussed along with lesser but still significant theorists such as John Milton. The political relevance of some literary works, such as John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel will also be discussed.

A large part of this course will consist of working on a research paper, either alone or in partnership with one or two other students, as dictated by the topic and student interest.

T C 302 • Uses And Abuses Of The Bible

43380 • Fall 2014
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM CLA 0.122

Office hours: to be determined. at Einstein Bros. Bagels on the Drag, and by appointment.

Professor A. Martinich, WAG 416A, martinich@mail.utexas.edu

Description: The Bible has influenced political, literary, and philosophical works for two thousand years. In addition to reading and discussing large part of the Bible, parts of the Qur'an, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan, will be among the major works read and discussed. The Bible both prescribes standards of ethical conduct and challenges some. Some of the most compelling stories in the Bible are about the nature of human beings and how they should behave.

We begin by reading Genesis, Exodus, parts of the books of Samuel and Kings, Job, the Gospel according to Matthew and the one according to Mark. We want to understand what the authors of these books meant; and we want to look at some ways that they were used and understood by later ages. This includes some ancient works about related events that were not included in the Bible.

Mohammed believed that Moses and Jesus were prophets, but some of the Qur’an’s stories conflict with those in the Bible. Thomas Hobbes tried to reconcile the Bible with modern scientific theory; and John Milton used the Bible to create the greatest epic poem in English. Students may explore related topics or authors, according to their interests.

Essay 4: due Dec. 5 2,000-3,300: 35% (The final essay must be a revision of essay 2 or 3 and must be 1000-2000 words longer than the original essay.)

Class discussion: 20%

Final examination: 10 %

A. P. Martinich, Roy Allison Vaughan Centennial Professor in Philosophy, Professor of History and Government, is the author or editor of more than fifteen books. His book Hobbes: A Biography (Cambridge University Press) won the Roy Hamilton Best Book Award in 2000. His book The Philosophy of Language 5th edition (Oxford University Press) has been the standard text in the field for twenty-five years. He is currently editing The Oxford Handbook of Hobbes. He is vice-president of the Board of Directors of The Journal of the History of Philosophy.He received the Chet Oliver Teaching Award in 2008.

PHL 381 • Hobbes And Locke

43500 • Spring 2014
Meets TH 12:30PM-3:30PM WAG 312

Graduate standing and consent of graduate advisor or instructor required.

Course Description

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two of the greatest political philosophers of all time. This seminar will focus on their political philosophies, which include discussions of the original condition of human beings (the state of nature), the origin of government, the scope and limits of sovereignty (government), the justification of revolution, and the nature and place of religion within a society.

The first class meeting will provide the context of seventeenth century philosophy as a preparation for a close reading of Hobbes and Locke. We will also discuss Introduction” of Leviathan, “Preface” of Two Treatises of Government, and chapter 1 of Book I of On the Social Contract during the first class.

Grading

Class participation: 30%

Final Essay: 70% (10-15 pages; 2500-4000 words; due on the last class day.)

PHL 305 • Intro To Philos Of Religion

This course investigates four attitudes of beliefs that have been held about the relations of humans to God. The first is an ancient view, according to which God's existence is presupposed and all events are interpreted as expressions of God's will. Second is a medieval view, according to which the existence of God and his various attributes are suitable subjects for proof and arguments. Third is a modern view that God exists but that little is known about Him and that, in any case, humans must attend to their own affairs. Fourth is a contemporary view that God is assumed not to exist, and it is questioned whether any events have any value at all and whether human life has meaning.

The Bible (preferred: Harper Collins Study Bible, Student Edition. Also acceptable: The Access Bible; Oxford Study Bible; Catholic Study Bible; New English Bible (Study Edition), or New American Bible) (The NIV translation is fine; but some commentaries are misleading for the purposes of this course.)The Major Works, Anselm of Canterbury (Oxford UP)Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes (edited by either Curley, Gaskin, Martinich, or Tuck)Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ, Friedrich Nietzsche (ed. Tanner)Philosophical Writing 3rd ed., A. P. Martinich

PHL 354 • Origins Of Liberalism

Liberal democracy is roughly the theory that individual persons are free and equal and must be respected by governments. Freedom and equality are typically connected with the rights of individuals. Key concepts to be discussed include liberty, democracy, the social contract, and the nature of authority and obligation.

The theory behind liberalism developed from or competed with several traditions such as democracy, republicanism and absolute sovereignty. These traditions were influenced by various religious, economic and political beliefs over a long period of time. Perhaps the most crucial period in this development was seventeenth-century (Stuart) England.

This course is interdisciplinary. It will cover such political and religious events as the Gunpowder Plot, Charles I’s Personal Rule, the Long Parliament, the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Exclusion Crisis, and the Glorious Revolution. Some classic works in political philosophy such as Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan and John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government will be discussed, along with those by lesser but still significant theorists such as John Milton. The political relevance of some literary works, such as Milton’s, “On the New Forcers of Conscience under the Long Parliament,” and John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel may also be discussed.

A large part of this course will consist of working on a research paper, either alone or in partnership with one or two other students, as dictated by the topic and student interest.

PHL 305 • Intro To Philos Of Religion

This course investigates four different attitudes that have been held about the relation of humans to God. First is an ancient view according to which God's existence is presupposed and all events are interpreted as expressions of God's will. Second is a medieval view according to which the existence of God and his various attributes are suitable subjects for proof and argument. Third is a modern view according to which God exists but little is known about him through reasoning. Fourth is a contemporary view according to which God is assumed not to exist, and it is asked whether anything has any value and whether human life has a meaning. Although the course is divided historically, our goal will be to identify what is true or false, rational or not rational about the views expressed in each.

Note: This is not a course in world religions.

Books:

The Bible (preferred: NewOxford Annotated Bible, with Apocrypha, Student Edition or Harper Collins Study Bible. Also acceptable: The Access Bible, Catholic Study Bible; New English Bible (Study Edition), or New American Bible) (The NIV translation is fine; but most accompanying commentaries are misleading for the purposes of this course.)

PHL 381 • Descartes, Locke, And Hobbes

42595 • Fall 2011
Meets W 6:00PM-9:00PM WAG 312

Graduate Standing and Consent of Graduate Advisor or instructor required.

Course Description

The metaphysical and epistemological views of Descartes, Hobbes, and Locke. Topics include the proper foundation for a philosophical system, the nature of knowledge, emotions, (free) will, personal identity (and religious toleration).

Grading

Class participation: 20% (A class presentation will constitute part of this grade.)

Major Essay: 80% (3,500-6,000 words; due on the last day of lectures.)

Texts

Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy, with Objections and Replies,

PHL 354 • Origins Of Liberalism

Description: While North Americans and Europeans believe that liberal democracy is the best form of government, this was not always true. (Many people throughout the world today do not think it is true.) Liberal democracy is the theory that the individual person has certain rights, not dependent on the existence of government. Key concepts of liberalism include liberty, democratic foundations, contractualism, and obligation.

The theory behind liberalism developed from several traditions (republicanism, democracy, and limited sovereignty) influenced by various religious, economic and political beliefs and values, over a long period of time. Perhaps the most crucial period in this development was seventeenth-century England.

This course is interdisciplinary. It begins with the religious and political history of the seventeenth century (which includes the Gunpowder Plot, the Long Parliament, the English Civil War, the Rump Parliament, the execution of King Charles I, the establishment of the Commonwealth, the restoration of the Monarchy, the Exclusion Crisis, the Rye House Plot, and the Glorious Revolution.) Then some crucial works in political philosophy by some of the greatest political philosophers in history, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke will be discussed. John Milton was also no political slouch, and two of his books, one in defense of the beheading of the king, will be read. The political relevance of some literary works will also be discussed.

A large part of this course will consist of working on a research paper, either alone or in partnership with one or two other students, as the topic and student interest dictates.

Books: Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

John Locke, Two Treatises of Government

John Locke, On Toleration

John Milton, Philosophical Writings

David Wootton, ed., Divine Right and Democracy

A. P. Martinich, Philosophical Writing

Other Materials: Handouts containing excerpts from John Dryden and Andrew Marvell, and others

Requirements:

Class Participation and Assignments: 15%

Midterm Exam: 15%

First Essay: 1,000-3,500 words: 10%

Research Essay: 4,000-7,000 words: 50%

Final Exam: 10%

PHL 381 • Hobbes And Locke

42560 • Fall 2010
Meets W 12:30PM-3:30PM WAG 312

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are the two greatest English political philosophers and two of the greatest philosophers of any age. This seminar will focus on their political philosophies, which include discussions of the original condition of human beings (the state of nature), the origin and justification of government, the scope and limits of (government), the justification of revolution, and the nature and place of religion within a society.

The first class meeting will provide the context of seventeenth century philosophy as a preparation for a close reading of the texts. For that week we will discuss "Introduction" of Leviathan and “Preface” of Two Treatises of Government.

T C 302 • Uses And Abuses Of The Bible

42790 • Fall 2010
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM CRD 007A

We will study some representative cases of the ways the Bible has been used, and sometimes abused, through the centuries. We begin with Genesis, Exodus, parts of the books of Samuel and Kings, Job, the gospel of Mark, and parts of the gospel of Johnin order to understand what the original authors meant by their works. Because popular books, like The Da Vinci Code and Adam, Eve and the Serpent, have renewed interest in ancient writings that did not get included in the Bible, we will read a selection of these, including The Life of Adam and Eve, The Gospel of Thomas, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. These will be followed by selections from the Qur’an, which contains variations on the biblical stories. We will then read two seventeenth century authors, Thomas Hobbes and John Milton, who used biblical themes and problems in their philosophy, literature, and politics. We will end with a selection of other uses/abuses of the Bible, possibly feminist, Native American, or anti-slavery interpretations.

Texts/Readings:

Genesis

Selections from the Apocrypha

Exodus 1-24

Koran

Renita Weems, “The Hebrew Women Are not Like the Egyptian Women: The Ideology of Race, Gender and Sexual Reproduction in Exodus 1” handout

Essay: 1,200-3,300 words (The final essay must be a revision of essay 2 or 3 and must be 1000-2000 words longer than the revised essay.) - 35%

Class discussion: 20%

Final examination: 10%

About the Professor

A. P. Martinich, Roy Allison Vaughan Centennial Professor of Philosophy and Professor of History and Government, is the author or editor of fifteen books and many articles, most of which concern language, religion, politics, or the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. His book, Hobbes: a Biography was awarded the Robert Hamilton Faculty Book Award (2000). He was awarded the Plan II Honors Chet OliverTeaching Award, in 2008 He was a Faculty Fellow for many years and was twice named Faculty Fellow of the Year.

PHL 356 • Philosophy Of Religion

39290 • Spring 2004
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM WAG 420

This course surveys the origins of yogic practices in early Indian civilization and traces the development of Yoga philosophies through the Upanishads, BHAGAVAD GITA, YOGA-SUTRA, Buddhist, Jaina, and tantric texts, as well as works of neo-Vedanta. We shall try to identify a set of claims common to all classical advocates of yoga. We shall look at both classical and modern defenses and criticisms, especially of alleged metaphysical and psychological underpinnings of the practices. No previous background in Indian philosophy is necessary, but students with no previous course work in philosophy or in psychology should contact the instructor.